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Ben Danner takes skills from the mound all the way to the bank By Alison Bailin
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s children, we all dream about what we’re going to be when we grow up. Ben Danner’s dream was… well, kind of weird. “What, I wanted to be a banker! What’s wrong with that?” Danner asks. But there is a method to his money madness. “When I was little, one of my best friend’s dads happened to be in banking. His suit was cool and office was nearby, unlike my dad, who commuted nearly three hours roundtrip each day to his job,” Danner says. Danner’s “dream” wouldn’t happen right away, though. Turns out, beyond money, he had a knack for baseball. Pitching, to be exact. A standout talent throughout his youth, Danner was recruited to play in junior college (and many other colleges and universities) before moving on to Northern Illinois University to work toward a business degree, which would be his ticket into banking. “All those years on the mound and in the dugout actually helped prepare me in different ways that simply only learning in the classroom never could,” Danner says. “Baseball and sports in general are focused on working as a team. That understanding very easily translates into the work environment.” According to Danner, when you first start in baseball, you are a member of a team that has players that are more productive than you. As you get more experience – as when you get more experience in business – you take on a more significant role on the team and help others to become more successful. “In the end, the goal within any good bank, business or brand is the same as it is on the field – to win as a team,” Danner says. And just like his days in baseball, Danner has had a lot of big wins on his team. Today, he serves as the senior vice president and Arizona business banking manager of Washington
Federal, a 101-year-old bank with more than 30 locations across Arizona. Last year, he helped the bank move into its first Arizona regional headquarters, located in central Scottsdale. He also led the team that financed the expansion of Lux Air Jet Centers, the Phoenix-Goodyear Airport A former college baseball Fixed Base Operator. The $10 player, Ben Danner now million project, which was serves as the senior vice president and Arizona recently completed, added business banking manager three hangers at Phoenixof Washington Federal. Goodyear Airport as well as (Photo special to Airpark News) 18,000-square-feet of office space and a 10,000-squareAs dedicated to his family as to his day job, foot Fixed Base Operator facility. According to Washington Federal presi- all three of Danner’s sons – Steven, Andrew dent and CEO Brent Beardall, commercial and Joey – followed in dad’s footsteps and and business is the fastest-growing segment played baseball, one at Horizon and two at of the bank’s business, accounting for nearly Pinnacle. Of course, he was involved with their teams, starting in Little League right here 70 percent of all loans. “Ben has been central to not only launching in Scottsdale in the early ‘90s. Two of his sons would go on to play ball in business banking for us in Arizona over the past several years, but in helping us to expand college, as well. But any of their stats – even exponentially across our entire eight-state combined – pale in comparison to the best thing any of them has done to date: making footprint,” Beardall says. Additional projects of note under his him a grandpa. “My wife Debi and I are very proud to have stead in recent years include: $13 million in financing to a technology-focused university, our new titles of being grandparents. Chasing which allowed them to expand their campus our granddaughter, Stella, pretty much takes and build dormitories on-site; $10 million in priority over many things at this point in our financing to a family of local farms to help life,” Danner says. But does he still pick up a ball on occasion them finance regional operations; and $9 million in financing to a national staffing to see if he’s still got it? “I’ve been known to company that allowed them to assist with play in a rec league or two,” Danner says, who also runs more than 900 miles a year. medical staffing needs across several states. Prior to Washington Federal, Danner was a “I do, however, constantly put myself on a founding member of the group that purchased hypothetical mound in a ‘game situation’ First Scottsdale Bank (which eventually sold while at the office, especially when faced with a big decision.” to Heartland Bank of Iowa). June 2018 Scottsdale Airpark News |
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